MORIARTY, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Titan
Aerospace, a producer of solar-powered “atmospheric satellites”
(atmosats),today announced that Vern Raburn has joined the
company as Chairman and CEO. An accomplished high technology and
aerospace leader, Raburn will bring to Titan an invaluable blend of
real-world experience in business development, technology innovation and
market creation.

“A conflux of advanced technologies are finally enabling a dream that a
lot of people have chased over the past three decades – the vision of an
atmospheric satellite – to become a practical reality,” said Vern
Raburn. “By delivering the value of a space satellite at a staggeringly
low cost, Titan is poised to re-imagine and expand the satellite
industry. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues at
Titan to grow this important market.”

Founded in 2012, Titan designs and manufactures atmosats – a new
type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that does the work of near-earth
satellites at a fraction of the cost. Payloads could include equipment
that provide real-time high-resolution images of the earth, voice and
data services, navigation and mapping services and atmospheric-based
monitoring systems. In August, Titan unveiled its first atmosat
platform, SOLARA.
Unlike traditional satellites, SOLARA is far less expensive to buy and
fly, and it can easily be brought back for maintenance or payload
upgrades. In contrast to other high-altitude UAVs, Titan’s solar-powered
atmosats offer much longer endurance, staying aloft for one to five
years, depending on the payload. Titan intends to leverage these
breakthrough capabilities to unlock new applications that put commercial
satellite services within reach of dozens of industries.

“Vern’s passion for our mission is infectious and his leadership
experience will be instrumental in helping us realize the tremendous
market opportunity ahead for Titan,” said Max Yaney, founder and CTO of
Titan Aerospace. “We’re looking forward to working with Vern to bring
our entrepreneurial vision to market.”

Prior to joining Titan, Raburn was most recently founder and CEO of
Eclipse Aviation, creator of the very light jet (VLJ) market and
manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 jet. In his quest to change the way
people traveled, Raburn led the Eclipse team to a number of notable
achievements including pioneering the use of friction stir welding in
aircraft structures and developing the PhostrEx fire suppression agent
to replace the greenhouse gas Halon in aviation applications. In 2005, Eclipse
Aviation was honored with the Robert J. CollierTrophyfor
leadership, innovation and the advancement of general aviation.

Earlier in his career, Raburn spent more than 25 years as a senior
executive helping to shape the course of the high technology industry.
He was among the first Microsoft employees and, as the president of
Microsoft’s Consumer Products Division, was responsible for the
company’s entry into the retail channel. Following his tenure at
Microsoft, Raburn served as executive VP and general manager of Lotus
Development Corporation, where he played an integral role in the
successful launch of Lotus 1-2-3. He has also served as chairman and CEO
of Symantec Corporation and Slate Corporation. Raburn also worked as
president of the Paul Allen Group, overseeing high technology
investments for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

“Whether I was working at the inception of the PC industry, the packaged
software business or the VLJ marketplace, it has been my personal
mission to push the boundaries of technological innovation to redefine
markets and make the impossible possible,” said Raburn. “At Titan I have
found a home with like-minded colleagues that understand that change is
not only possible, it’s inevitable. I’m thrilled to join this stellar
team and eager to get going on this next challenge as we bring new value
to the satellite landscape.”

Titan is a privately held venture with manufacturing facilities in New
Mexico. The company is funded through staged equity financing from
experienced venture capitalists, aviation investors and successful
entrepreneurs. Titan’s Series A and A-1 rounds of financing have closed
and its Series B financing round will open soon.

About Titan Aerospace

Titan
Aerospace (Titan) is pioneering commercial atmospheric satellites
(atmosats). The company’s SOLARA atmosat platform provides customers
around the world with easy access to real-time high-resolution images of
the earth, voice and data services, navigation and mapping services and
atmospheric-based monitoring systems. Titan’s SOLARA platform can fly
into position and stay aloft for up to five years, empowering commercial
and government customers to make timely, data-driven decisions that
improve business outcomes and societal welfare. Founded in 2012, Titan
is backed by leading entrepreneurs and driven by visionary technology,
solar and aerospace professionals.